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Mar 18

Here’s Who’s Most Likely to Get Reinfected with COVID, Says New Study

One of the biggest questions that researchers have been hoping to answer since the start of the pandemic is whether or not you can get reinfected with COVID-19, and, if yes, are you still at risk for severe infection? While early on it became clear that reinfection was in fact possible, there have been few documented cases across the country. Now, a new Danish study has discovered who is most likely to be reinfected with the deadly virus. Read on to find out who is most prone to reinfection.

Infected patient in quarantine lying in bed in hospital, coronavirus concept.© Provided by Eat This, Not That! Infected patient in quarantine lying in bed in hospital, coronavirus concept.

Those 65 and Older are Most at Risk of Reinfection

According to the large study out of Denmark published in the journal Lancet, the majority of those who recover from COVID-19 have immunity for at least six months. However, those who are of an older age are much more prone to reinfection.

“In summary, we found that protection against repeat SARS-CoV-2 infection is robust and detectable in the majority of individuals, protecting 80% or more of the naturally infected population who are younger than 65 years against reinfections within the observation period,” the researchers explained. “However, we observed that individuals aged 65 years and older had less than 50% protection against repeat SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

“You can certainly not rely on a past infection as protecting you from being ill again, and possibly quite ill if you are in the elderly segment,” Steen Ethelberg, an epidemiologist at Statens Serum Institut, Denmark’s public health agency, told the New York times

The Need for “Protective Measures” is Still Great

Because the older age group is more prone to a serious clinical course of illness, the researchers believe that their findings highlight the “need to implement protective measures for the older population in the form of effective vaccines and enhanced physical distancing and infection control, even in those known to be previously infected,” they wrote. “Furthermore, our data indicate that vaccination of previously infected individuals should be done because natural protection cannot be relied on.”

So follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you live—wear a face mask that fits snugly and is double layered, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, get vaccinated when it becomes available to you.

Signs of Covid-19

  • Slide 1 of 12: Coronavirus cases are now as low as they were in October, but the virus can still make anyone—young or old—sick. With thousands of lives lost, doctors now know that the initial symptoms—to just be a cough, fever and shortness of breath—are in fact more varied, and more comprehensively nefarious, affecting nearly every part of your body. Read on to learn about symptoms you haven’t heard about—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus. 
  • Slide 2 of 12: Just this month, a British expert identified “Covid tongue” as a new symptom he is seeing among patients. “Seeing increasing numbers of Covid tongues and strange mouth ulcers. If you have a strange symptom or even just headache and fatigue stay at home!” Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, tweeted this month. He estimated 1 in 500 have this.
  • Slide 3 of 12: “Delirium is a state of acute confusion that starts suddenly and can occur during any illness,” according to the ZOE Covid Symptom Study headed by Spector. “The exact trigger may not always be clear, but delirium can be associated with low oxygen levels or the effects of the underlying illness on the brain. It is generally more common in older people who need help with daily life—for example due mobility problems, poor eyesight, hearing problems or existing memory issues such as dementia.”
  • Slide 4 of 12:  “One 55-year old woman with no known current or historical mental illness was admitted to hospital with recognized Covid-19 symptoms including fever, cough and muscle aches,” reports Forbes. “She was discharged after two weeks, having been treated with oxygen, but four days later her husband reported she was confused and behaving strangely. She then experienced hallucinations, reporting seeing lions and monkeys in her house, and became delusional and aggressive with her family and hospital staff. She was treated with anti-psychotic medication and her symptoms improved over the course of three weeks, although the study does not confirm whether she made a full recovery.”
  • Slide 5 of 12: “Younger people with less severe COVID-19 might develop painful, itchy lesions on their hands and feet that resemble chilblains, an inflammatory skin condition,” reports the Mayo Clinic. “Sometimes called COVID toes, this symptom typically lasts about 12 days.”
  • Slide 6 of 12: “COVID-19 also has been reported to cause confusion in older people, especially those with severe infections,” says the Mayo Clinic.
  • Slide 7 of 12: Pulmonary and critical care physician Joseph Khabbaza, MD, “reports that he’s seen these symptoms quite often,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. “While the medical community is still trying to figure out what causes brain fog, it’s believed that it’s likely a result of the body’s immune response to the virus or inflammation throughout the nervous system and blood vessels that lead to the brain. As for hallucinations and delirium, those, too, stem from the body fighting off the virus.”
  • Slide 8 of 12: “COVID-19 might cause eye problems such as enlarged, red blood vessels, swollen eyelids, excessive watering and increased discharge. The infection also might cause light sensitivity and irritation. These symptoms are more common in people with severe infections,” says the Mayo Clinic.
  • Slide 9 of 12: A “headache” is listed as a COVID symptom, according to the CDC, but a migraine can be far more painful—debilitating even. “The headache struck like the sudden boom of a thunderclap, waking the otherwise healthy woman,” reports Hartford Healthcare. “Six hours later, she had other symptoms of COVID-19. The 33-year-old, who had a history of migraine but found this virus-related headache to be different and much worse, is the subject of a case study by Dr. Sandhya Mehla, a headache specialist with the Hartford HealthCare Headache Center."“From the most recently available data,” said Dr. Mehla, “it is estimated that headache is a symptom of COVID-19 in about 13 percent of patients with COVID-19. It is the fifth most common COVID-19 symptom after fever, cough, muscle aches and trouble breathing.”
  • Slide 10 of 12: “Dr. Khabbaza says he’s seen patients’ heart rates shoot up after minimal activity shortly after becoming infected. This along with elevated temperatures are a result of autonomic dysfunction,” reports the Cleveland Clinic. Says the doctor: “We’re seeing this more and more. When it occurs, our immune system is attacking autonomic nerves — so nerves that regulate things in the body like heart rate and temperature — that thermostat can be thrown off.”
  • Slide 11 of 12: “Really, nothing is off the table when it comes to COVID. I always get texts from people asking if something they’re experiencing is normal. Well, there’s nothing that’s truly abnormal when it comes to COVID — literally almost anything goes and we don’t exactly know why,” says Dr. Khabbaza.RELATED: 7 Tips You Must Follow to Avoid COVID, Say Doctors
  • Slide 12 of 12: “People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness,” says the CDC. “Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19: Fever or chills Cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell Sore throat Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea This list does not include all possible symptoms. CDC will continue to update this list as we learn more about COVID-19.” Contact a medical profrssional if you think you have coronavirus—and to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

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